Taken by the Beast (12 page)

“Did they kill him?”

“I believe so, but remember, Phillip could have been fucking with you. He’s a sick man, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Was,” she clarified. “
Was
a sick man.”

“Should I not have killed him? After what he did to you? To us?” He was losing patience now; she could see it. “Can we continue this in the car, Kayla?”

“And then there’s the breeding thing,” she went on, ignoring him. She looked out at the road, into the woods, at anything but him. “Were you really going to do….that? Breed me? I mean, is that why you…fucked me? Were you trying to get me pregnant?” She wiped the back of her hand across her face, wiping away tears.

* * *

Elijah shook his head and determined he needed to take hold of the situation now. She was becoming hysterical. He reached for her, but she pulled away.

“Kayla,” he said, “it’s not like that. Look at me.”

She didn’t. He wasn’t sure she could. “I mean, what? Am I…what you are? Am I going to turn into an animal…hurt people?”

He grabbed her arms and shook her once. “Look at me, Kayla.”

“Let me go!” She tried to free herself and when she couldn’t, she kicked his shin.

“All right,” he said, lifting her and carrying her to the car. “That’s enough for now. You need to calm down and we need to get out of here.”

“You need to answer my questions before I go anywhere with you. Let me go! Put me down!”

He opened the door with one hand and planted her in the passenger seat. As soon as he let her go, she scrambled to climb out of the car.

“Sit!” he said, putting her back in the seat.

“I trusted you!” she cried, slamming her fists into his chest while he tried to secure her seatbelt.

He clicked the belt in place before putting his hands on her shoulders and pinning her to the back of the seat. “You can still trust me, Kayla. I meant what I said the other night. If I let you go now, they will find you and hurt you, or worse. I won’t take that chance. I won’t lose you.” He studied her expression, her wide, frightened eyes. The thought she might be afraid of him cut deep. “I promise I won’t let them hurt you. Ever.”

“So
you
can use me,” she said, her voice small.

He could see he wasn’t the only one who was hurt. “No, Kayla,” he said. He touched her face and wiped away a tear. “It’s not like that. I promise.” He stood looking at her a moment longer before closing the door and moving to the driver’s seat.

Although Elijah had checked the car out, he still didn’t trust there wasn’t some sort of tracking device on it. He was glad to have the supplies Eric had left; bottles of water and food, clean clothes, some money. His plan now was to get some distance from where they’d been and find a place to camp for the night. Phillip’s estate was somewhere in the Boulder mountain range, he knew that much from the GPS, but he’d have to figure out a different route than that programmed. He knew a little bit about Utah’s mountains but wasn’t as familiar with them as the Colorado Rockies.

“Who was the man who helped us? And why couldn’t you shift?” Kayla asked.

“When they shot me at the house, it was with an anti-shift drug. They must have perfected it sometime in the last years,” he said, keeping the thought that they’d likely used his brothers as the test animals to himself. “Eric Maddox, the man who helped us, was oddly enough the one who created the drug.”

“Why did he help us?”

“I don’t know. That troubles me.”

“So why are we going to Phillip’s house then? Why don’t we just go the other way, ditch the car, and hide out for a few days before going our separate ways?”

“For a number of reasons.”

“And those would be?” she asked when he was quiet for too long.

“For one, I don’t trust Eric’s motivation and I’m finished hiding, especially now that I’ve put you in so much danger.”

“You said for a number of reasons.”

He paused for a moment before speaking. “Eric told me that two of my brothers are alive,” he said, glancing at her.

“And you don’t think it’s a trap?”

“Doesn’t make sense. He had us here, he could easily have kept me contained with that drug, but didn’t. I know from the few moments I spoke with Eric that he hated Phillip and wanted him dead. He knew I’d shift if he didn’t give me the drug. They’d never be able to contain me with such a small group without it. Marcus and Collin are the bait they’re dangling to get us to the estate. Eric knows I’d never be able to turn my back if I had even the slightest hope my brothers were alive.”

“What if he lied? What if it’s just a trap?”

“I don’t know, Kayla. But I have to take the chance.”

“And I’m just along for the ride?”

He didn’t hesitate. “No, you’re more than that,” he said. He looked at her for several moments. “When those men touched you,” he paused. “When Phillip took you away and all I could do was watch, it made me crazy, Kayla.”

“Because you thought I might be pregnant?”

“No. Not only that. I’ve only ever felt this way about one other woman in my life,” he added.

She studied him, as if trying to figure out whether or not to believe him. “But you thought I might be pregnant then. Did you not use protection on purpose? To…breed me?” she asked, struggling over that one word. He didn’t miss the fact she was choosing to ignore his confession.

His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel for a moment, then relaxed. “No,” he said. But was it true? Was his natural instinct for survival more powerful than his self-control?

“You asked me to tell you about my family when you knew about them all along,” she accused. “You knew my dad had been killed,” she choked and was quiet for a moment. He kept his eyes on the road, wanting to give her that little bit of privacy.

“I’m sorry, Kayla, but if I’d told you everything, would you have believed me?”

She considered. “Probably not. Not at first anyway. But you should have tried.”

* * *

They drove in silence for a while. Kayla was lost in her thoughts. How long had it been since this all had begun, she wondered. Less than a month, for sure. She looked at the man next to her. He was different from anyone she’d been with in every way, not even considering the wolf thing. To say she was attracted to him was an understatement. And this new knowledge of her own lineage somehow made that point more blatant. It was one more layer of connection.

She thought back on the previous night and as if on cue, she felt the soreness of her bottom. She hadn’t even had time to process what had happened between them last night. And now, everything just felt different. She felt more bound to him than she had before. Although a part of her kept reminding her of his betrayal, she still trusted his intentions were good.

“I need to buy a map,” Elijah said, pulling into a gas station. “I’d prefer you to come inside with me.”

“That’s fine. I need some coffee anyway,” she said.

Inside, he looked through the maps while she poured two cups of bad coffee. She bought some premade sandwiches and other snacks, assuming they’d be on the road for a while.

“Ready?” he asked.

She nodded. “I got you a coffee too,” she said.

“Thanks.”

Elijah paid and they went back to the car. Inside, he searched the map while she ate a sandwich.

“There’s another route through the forest. We can’t keep the car for much longer, but I think we’ll be safer that way.”

The sun was setting as they drove out of the little town.

“How long will it take us?” she asked. “I’m so tired.”

“We’ll take a motel in the next town tonight.”

“Have you thought about what’s going to happen when we get there?” she asked. “I mean, I’m guessing there’s going to be more than the dozen armed men we had here and you’re already doubting Eric’s intentions. They’ll have the anti-shift drug. What if it is a trap and we walk right into it? You said you’d keep me safe, Elijah. I don’t think driving through the front gate of this complex is going to do that. Not to mention what could happen to you.”

“I was neither going to drive through the front gates nor take you with me onto their complex. I planned on tucking you away somewhere safe while I took care of this once and for all. Somewhere they won’t find you.”

“This is becoming the story of my life.”

“It won’t be for long, I promise.”

“Right,” she said, turning away.

Chapter Twelve

Elijah’s mind was flooded with thoughts of keeping Kayla safe. He wouldn’t let himself get his hopes up about Marcus or Collin, not yet. Especially after Eric’s comment about Collin being weak. He needed to hunt, that was one thing. He was ravenous. He looked over at Kayla, who sat with her head back and her eyes closed. She looked tired. He took the next exit where a neon sign blinked vacancies at a roadside motel near a wood.

She opened her eyes when the car slowed and looked around.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Central Valley in Utah,” he said. “Another few hours will put us where I want to be. After ditching the car, I’ll go by foot tomorrow. For tonight, I’ll get us a room. I need to hunt and you’re exhausted. Stay here; I’ll get us checked in.”

“Are you going to leave me alone tomorrow?”

“No, not exactly.” He looked at her. “I wouldn’t leave you anywhere if I thought they might find you.”

She exhaled, nodding once.

He went inside to secure a hotel room. It was only a few minutes and he returned. Grabbing a few things, he led the way into the room. Kayla collapsed on the bed immediately.

“You don’t want to eat anything?” he asked, watching as she stretched her arms and yawned.

She shook her head. “I’m going to sleep.” She pulled the covers back on the bed.

“Probably a good idea, but give me your clothes first.”

“What?” she asked, stopping and turning to face him.

“Your clothes. I need to make sure you’ll be here when I get back, Kayla. I can’t take a chance you’ll take off. I don’t have time.”
My brothers don’t have time
.

She folded her arms across her chest. “Elijah, I’m not going anywhere. Where would I go? I don’t have a good idea of where we are and really, I have nowhere to go. I have no money, I’ve just been through a day and night I really want to forget and I’m tired. Just go hunt. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, waiting.

“Oh, Christ,” she said, and pulled her top over her head. “Fine.” She stripped off her jeans and didn’t hesitate to take off her bra and panties. She handed everything over to him. “Just remember, you haven’t exactly been very trustworthy either.” She lay on the bed and ignored him altogether.

Elijah didn’t say anything. He watched her pull the covers to her neck and turn the light out. He went outside and locked her clothes in the Range Rover before walking to the edge of the woods. There, he stripped, moved deeper into the dense wood, and shifted.

* * *

The hunt was invigorating. He’d run so hard his heart was still racing while he pulled his jeans back on. It was good to be out in the wild, free. He’d hunted, he’d killed, and he’d eaten. Fresh blood soared through his veins and he had enough energy to continue on tonight, to find Eric. Find his brothers and save them.

Marcus and Collin. He wondered how long it had been since either of them had been on a hunt. If they’d perfected the anti-shift drug, they’d be easy to contain.

Elijah unlocked the car and grabbed Kayla’s clothes before returning to the motel room. He entered quietly, hearing her soft, even breath as she slept even before opening the door. Light from the streetlamp shone on the bed. She slept on her side, her mouth slightly open, her hair working itself into knots all around her face. Elijah gently tucked one of those hairs off her forehead before pulling the blanket up over her shoulder. She made the slightest sound when he did this and he stood watching her for a moment before heading into the bathroom for a shower.

He considered what she’d said about Marcus and Collin, about it being a trick. What did Eric Maddox have to gain from helping them escape? Did he want Phillip dead so badly that he was willing to set them free? Or did he know that with the mention of his brothers, Elijah would be back? And what about Kayla? As long as any of these men lived, he could never set her free. But did he want to set her free? Was his intention to breed her all along? No, it was never a conscious thought, but the possibility had lain beneath the surface all the time, hadn’t it?

When he’d first learned about Kayla’s existence, he’d been almost forced to track her. But when he’d set eyes on her the first time, something inside him had wanted to possess her. Needed to claim her, no matter the consequences.

But that was the animal inside him. If he cared for her, he’d set her free. He’d manage the beast.

Cared for her
.

He switched off the water and grabbed a towel. He realized in that moment that if he had to choose between saving his brothers or saving her, he would choose her.

He shook his head, dried off, and went into the bedroom. She lay in the same position she’d been in when he’d tucked her in before his shower. He pulled the curtains closed on the single window in the room and slipped into the bed. Before he even closed his eyes, Kayla whispered something in her sleep and tucked herself into his chest, the top of her head just beneath his chin, her body curled in a fetal position, arms tucked between them. He wrapped his arms around her small, suddenly incredibly fragile body and held her close.

* * *

“Rachel’s house is a little out of the way, but it’s the only place I feel assured you’ll be safe.”

“Who is Rachel?” Kayla asked. It wasn’t quite 7:00 a.m. and they were already on the road. She felt better though. A good night’s sleep made everything seem just a little better, even if she had woken up naked in Elijah’s arms. She’d wondered how long he’d been awake and lying there, silently holding her while she slept. The memory of his body wrapped around hers so intimately wasn’t something she wanted to think about just now.